India
Xiaomi has become an undisputed leader by market share
Can Samsung turn the tides this year?
For more than a year, Xiaomi has been leading the Indian smartphone market in terms of market share and there’s no stopping them. The brand has single-handedly managed to oust local brands like Micromax, and even experienced players like Samsung have taken a hit.
According to IDC, in Q4 2018, Xiaomi managed to grab an astounding 28.9 percent of the market, followed by Samsung at 18.7 percent. While Vivo and OPPO have managed to grab a decent 9.7 percent and 7.1 percent respectively, their rate of growth has slowed down considerably.
If we consider the complete year of 2018 against 2017, Vivo has managed to grow just 0.6 percent year-over-year and OPPO actually dipped by 0.3 percent. The report also says that online-focused brands drove the online channel share to an all-time high of 38.4 percent. On the other hand, offline sales registered a meager 6.7 percent growth.
During the last quarter of 2018, Realme managed to grab quite a huge chunk of the market with a share of 7.5 percent. The sub-brand of OPPO was launched just half a year back and has already released a wide array of phones.
The average selling price of phones continued to be in the budget segment at roughly US$ 158 (INR 11,000). More than half of the shipments belong in the US$ 100 to US$ 200 segment, and that’s where brands intend to lead.
In the end, Xiaomi shipped more than 40 million units in 2018, followed by Samsung with almost 32 million. Samsung had been relatively silent last year, but has now changed strategy with the M-series launch. The South Korean giant is focused on taking back the budget and midrange segments by reportedly launching a plethora of phones in the coming months.
Lastly, OnePlus has once again emerged as the leader in the premium segment, followed by Samsung and Apple in the super-premium segment.
India
Nothing opens first India store in Bengaluru
New retail space blends self-expression, creator culture, and community play.
Nothing has officially opened its first India store in Bengaluru, marking a major step in the brand’s global retail expansion.
Located in Indiranagar, Nothing Store Bengaluru spans 5,032 square feet across two floors. The space draws inspiration from 1970s assembly lines and workshops, translating Nothing’s rebellious design language into an interactive, hands-on environment built for the local community.
The store puts self-expression at its core. It is the only Nothing location worldwide where customers can personalise their products. A dedicated studio also supports creator unboxings and hands-on content, reinforcing the brand’s focus on co-creation.
The space includes a community hangout zone for events and meetups, alongside playful elements such as vending machines, claw games, and conveyor-belt displays. An in-house coffee shop, seating areas, and workshop spaces position the store as a cultural hub rather than a traditional retail outlet.
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Nothing and CMF products are available in store, alongside official Nothing merchandise. The brand says the location will evolve over time through collaborations, workshops, and limited-run installations by local creators, reflecting the rhythm and voices of the city.
Bengaluru was chosen for its role as India’s innovation capital and its community of early adopters, creators, and cultural tastemakers. Indiranagar’s creative energy and lifestyle focus made it a natural home for Nothing’s first physical store in the country.
The Bengaluru opening builds on Nothing’s first store in Soho. The company has confirmed plans to open additional locations in New York and Japan.
Nothing Store Bengaluru opens on February 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM IST. It is located at 660/1, 100 Feet Road, 1st Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. Regular store hours are 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.
India
TECNO POVA Curve 2 5G packs an 8000mAh battery
The brand’s biggest battery in a smartphone yet
This 2026, TECNO is refreshing its performance-focused POVA lineup by adding a new member in it.
Big power without the bulk
Despite its slim and curved 7.42mm design (and weight of only 195g), the POVA Curve 2 5G arrives with TECNO’s largest battery yet — 8000mAh battery to be precise.
TECNO says the battery is TÜV SÜD-certified for long lifespan and is engineered to last up to six years. It’s also rated to operate in extreme temperatures ranging between as hot as 60°C (140ºF) or as cold as -20ºC (-4ºF).
If you’re already in a pinch, there’s the 45W fast charging with Bypass charging support in tow.
Durability was not compromised as it has a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i Front Glass protection, IP64 water and dust resistance rating, even SGS-certification for 1.5m drop protection.
Speaking of front, it features a curved 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. Beneath that glass lies MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 5G SoC.
On the software side, it runs the latest HiOS 16 (based on Android 16) with integrated AI tools in mind. That means AI-powered content summaries, writing assistance, call noise reduction, and automatic photo enhancements.
TECNO’s Ella AI Assistant has also been improved with more personalized interactions across the system. One-tap FlashMemo also exists for instantly capturing on-screen information. Moreover, Mind Hub organizes notes and AI-generated content in one place.
Lastly, connectivity gets a boost, too. With POVA Curve 2 5G’s dual-signal enhancement, it has an improved cellular and Wi-Fi performance in crowded or weak-signal environments. Interestingly, it also supports offline voice, text, and image communication up to 1.5km in open areas.
With all these in mind, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades.
Pricing and Availability
The TECNO POVA Curve 2 5G comes in three colorways: Melting Silver, Storm Titanium, and Mystic Purple.
It launches first in India this February 2026. Pricing is between INR 31,999 and INR 34,999 for the 8+128GB and 8+256GB configurations respectively.
It will also make an appearance at MWC 2026 this upcoming March 2 until March 5, 2026.
India
The vivo V60 is a rebadged vivo S30 for international markets
The first V-series phone with periscope telephoto lens
vivo is just on time with its biannual refresh of the V-series.
After the V50 launched last February 2025, the Chinese company has just revealed the newest vivo V60 in India six months after.
Rebadged vivo S30
If you’ve been following vivo for quite some time, you won’t be surprised that the China-exclusive vivo S30 will be the next V-smartphone in their global roster.
For the most part, it is a rebadged vivo S30 for the international market.
Internals are identical: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 4nm 8-core SoC, Adreno 722 GPU, up to 16GB LPDDR4X memory and 512GB UFS 2.2 storage.
It may be a good or bad thing but the vivo V60 has an 8+128GB base model whereas the S30 starts with a bigger 12+256GB configuration.
Cameras are neither different: 50MP f/1.88 main, 8MP f/2.0 Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA), and 50MP f/2.2 selfie.
However, the vivo V60 now sports an additional 50MP f/2.65 periscope telephoto lens that its predecessor lacks. It’s also the same shooter found on the flagship-grade vivo X200.
This newly-added camera is based on Sony’s widely-used IMX882 sensor and supports OIS (Optical Image Stabilization).
It can take 3x optically zoomed photos, and clear 10x shots through Stage Portrait Mode.
50x zoomed shots is also possible via vivo’s all-new AI Hyper Zoom.
vivo’s signature ring flash dubbed “Aura Light Portrait 2.0” is here to stay.
A 6500mAh Si/C BlueVolt battery is also here alongside vivo’s speedy 90W FlashCharge standard.
Wireless charging is still absent but reversed wired charging is present for those who need it.
Dual IP68+IP69 water and dust resistance ratings also remain.
Not a total clone
The vivo V60 is not a total clone of the S30 as there are some differences that may or may not matter to most of you.
The vivo V60 has a slightly bigger 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED display but only with a Full HD+ resolution and pixel density of 388ppi.
The Chinese vivo S30 has a smaller 6.67-inch screen of the same tech, but with more resolution at 1.2K and tighter 460ppi.
As expected, the Chinese model runs OriginOS 5 while the latter still runs Funtouch OS 15 that are both based on Android 15 — shutting the rumor that vivo Global will adopt their Chinese OS in the new V-phone.
That also means vivo’s already rich AI prowess are ever-present with improvements in AI Erase and Image Expander as well as highlighting newly-added AI capabilities such as AI Magic Move, AI Photography Suite, and even AI Four-Season Portrait.
As expected, the vivo V60 still rocks the ZEISS Camera System that its Chinese counterparts never had since the S18 Pro (Chinese version of the V30 Pro).
Indian vivo V60s are also expected to have an exclusive Wedding vLog and Portrait Studio presets.
Lastly, the vivo V60 has executed premium finishes and colorways: Auspicious Gold, Moonlit Blue, and Mist Gray.
That’s in contrast to S30’s pastel slash two-tone options derived from the S30 Pro mini (or X200 FE).
Although the gold and blue options have glass backs, the gray one is made from plastic.
That also makes up for its varying thickness: 7.53mm (gray), 7.65mm (gold), 7.75mm (blue).
All in all, the vivo V60 is slightly thicker over the S30 (7.49mm).
Pricing and Availability
Although there’s no “V60 Pro mini” (nor a V60 Pro), the X200 FE already exists as the global version of China’s vivo S30 Pro mini.
And unlike the vivo X200 FE where it was launched first in Malaysia and Taiwan, the vivo V60 headlines the global launch in India.
Here are India’s specific pricing per configuration:
- 8+128GB = INR 36,999
- 8+256GB = INR 38,999
- 12+256GB = INR 40,999
- 12+512GB = INR 45,999
It will just be a matter of time which markets the vivo V60 will come right after India.
It’s good to note though that vivo Malaysia already teases the V60 up on their website with two different colorways opposed to the Indian options: Berry Purple and Summer Blue.
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